The Order of Greco-Roman Enthusiasts

SarcophagusIf you love learning about ancient Greece or Rome, but Latin is all Greek to you, this is the club to join.  We have a full and ever-growing calendar of events.    
For information, please contact the faculty advisor, Professor Panagakos, at Katherine.Panagakos@stockton.edu

Date Event
April 20th, 2011 Regarding the recent marathon reading of the Aeneid, O.G.R.E. have done it again, with $2,600 raise for the Red Cross' efforts in Japan, despite the bad weather, and the fact that the book is shorter than the Odyssey (meaning, fewer slots to be sponsored). The total exceeds - by $50 - last year's event.  Congratulations to all who participated!
April 19th, 2011 This friday, April 22nd, at 4:30pm in K-101 we'll be having our final meeting of the semester and holding elections for next year's officers. Please send your nominations to our advisor Professor Panagakos by April 20th (katherine.panagakos@stockton.edu). See you there!
April 4th, 2011 Tomorrow's marathon reading of the Aeneid will take place in front of the library due the the inclement weather forecast.  Money from sponsored readings has already started coming in.  All proceeds will benefit the Red Cross' relief effort in Japan.
March 24th, 2011

O.G.R.E. pages are updated!  There is big news regarding our upcoming marathon reading.  Click here for more information.

Also, initiation into the Classics Honor Society, ETA SIGMA PHI, will be on Friday, April 22 from 4-5 pm in K-101.  New initiates will receive an official invitation.

There are some other new things here on the small, but growing site.  Be sure to check out the new O.G.R.E. flier as well.

January 25th, 2011 O.G.R.E. is still in need of volunteers the group's table at the Get Involved Fair. If you can help, please contact Victoria Budessa. January 26th in the I-wing gym from 9am-3pm.
November 22nd, 2010 We are currently doing a canned food drive for the Eastern Service Workers Association, a local grass roots organization that helps those in the area who are economically challenged, but have only collected three cans to date.  Representatives will be by on Wed to pick up all donations  no matter how few and I’m hoping that we can stop by Prof. Panagakos’ office tomorrow (K-153), Tuesday, and each put a can or two in the box.  PLEASE!  Let’s help out the people who will have next to nothing for Thanksgiving.  Obviously they will appreciate any canned goods but Thanksgiving type foods would probably be more appreciated (corn, sweet potatoes, etc.). 
November 8th, 2010 Our next meeting is this Thursday, November 11th at 5:00pm in room K 101. We will be preparing for our next Book&Bake sale and making ornaments to sell. If you like crafts, come help out! The Book&Bake sale will be held Monday, November 15-17th so we will be needing volunteers to work the table. A sign up sheet will be sent in an email soon so if you are available at any time on those days please consider volunteering. We will also need volunteers to make baked goods. Send me an email if youre interested in making some cookies, cupcakes or browniesis a reminder that our Movie Night is tonight 6-930 in room F118. We will be watching Alexander and there will be pizza and soda!
October 26th, 2010

This is a reminder that our Movie Night is tonight 6-930 in room F118. We will be watching Alexander and there will be pizza and soda!  

Let’s fill the box!

Also, if you are interested in our trip over break to NYC to the Onassis Center’s exhibit on Greek heroes, please email me (stk37488@go.stockton.edu).  We will be going on Thursday, Dec 16th, from 8:30 am till the evening via Stockton van.  Admission is free but you will need to bring money for lunch and any other purchases you’d like to make.  We’ll probably see the tree in Rockefeller Center and do some local site-seeing as well.

October 14th, 2010 There are some updates to see over on the O.G.R.E. page, including a reminder about tonight's meeting in K101 at 6pm.  People wishing to join are encouraged to attend.   Also, another book and bake sale is being planned.  Anyone who would like to donate, please contact us here at the ICHS.
October 2nd, 2010 Professor Katherine Panagakos will be giving a talk entitled,   "Marathon: The 2500th Anniversary of an Ancient Battle and its Modern Legacy". It will be on October 14th in the Alton Auditorium at 7pm. The event is free and open to the public.
September 30th, 2010

*We are planning a day trip to Washington DC's Natural History Museum for Saturday, October 23rd to see an exhibit on ancient Cyprus. More information on this trip to come. If you're interested in going, send me an email.

*Our next movie night is going to be October 26th (Precepting Day) 6-930pm. Room TBA. We're watching Alexander (Collin Farrel, Angelina Jolie).

*Our Book&Bake sale this week was a success! We're planning to do another one in November and we are asking for more book/cd/dvd donations!! If you have any you'd like to donate to our club to help raise money to fund our trips&events, please send me an email! We'd like to have the donations in by October 28th.

*Our next meeting is October 14th at 5pm in room K101. After the meeting, we will be going to a lecture at 7pm in the Alton Auditorium given by classics professor Katherine Panagakos "Marathon: The 2500th Anniversary of an Ancient Battle and its Modern Legacy". Hope to see you all there!!

September 20th, 2010

` - As “rosy-fingered dawn” touched the hallowed halls of Richard Stockton College, a marathon was beginning. It wasn’t the traditional type of marathon. No runners were poised awaiting the firing of a gun. Instead, it was a collection of Stockton’s own students from various backgrounds carrying on the bardic tradition of reading epic poetry before an audience of anxious listeners. The tale was Homer’s Odyssey, the story of Odysseus’s ten year nostos, or journey home to Ithaca, after fighting for ten years in the Trojan War. The students were members of the classics club on campus called The Order of Greco-Roman Enthusiasts, or O.G.R.E for short. The event was hosted by them in order to raise money for The American Red Cross to help the victims of the recent earthquakes in Haiti and Chile, which is why they chose to subtitle the marathon: “From Ithaca to Haiti.” The day began bright and early at 7:45 a.m. when students gathered in the K-wing circle and did not conclude until the final words of the epic were read, sometime after 9 p.m.

Professor Katherine Panagakos began our marathon by reading the opening lines of Homer’s Odyssey in the original Ancient Greek, transporting us back to the world of the Homeric heroes and Olympian gods. The readers, consisting of both students and faculty, read Robert Fagles’ acclaimed translation of the Odyssey for intervals of 15 minutes, inciting passersby with the excitement of Odysseus’s adventures. Throughout the day students, faculty, and staff gathered to hear the tale of “the man of twists and turns” and to donate money to this worthy cause. Along with raising money for The American Red Cross, the members of O.G.R.E were raising money for their club through their own bake sale with delicious baklava donated by Yiasou, a local Greek restaurant.

Around 4 o’clock, the marathon caught the attention of NBC40 and ERT, which is the New York affiliate of the Hellenic Radio and Television. NBC40 interviewed classics student Phillip Bennett, who articulated the connection between Odysseus’ wandering and Haiti’s and Chile’s disasters, saying that despite the bleakness of their situations, O.G.R.E believed that Haiti and Chile would overcome their struggle as Odysseus overcame his.

After twelve hours of reading, which included a clever escape from the cave of the Cyclops, Polyphemus, a trip to the Underworld, and the punishment of the suitors, O.G.R.E raised over $2500 for The American Red Cross, an unanticipated but most welcome amount. O.G.R.E would like to thank all those who sponsored the readers and all those who donated their time, energy, and money. O.G.R.E would also like to thank the cabinet members who organized the event: President Nicole Pietrowicz, Vice President Bobi Sobel, Treasurer Maureen Ingersoll, and Secretary Victoria Budesa and their advisor Professor Katherine Panagakos. We will have to wait to see what text O.G.R.E will choose for next year’s marathon reading and to which charity it will present its donation.  If you are interested in becoming involved, please contact either Professor Panagakos (katherine.panagakos@stockton.edu) or any of the members of O.G.R.E.  Meetings take place every other Thursday at 4:30 p.m. The room will be announced in the ARGO this September.

NBC40 interview: http://www.nbc40.net/pages/videoplayer/video.php?vid=12763

 

Victoria Budesa

Victoria Budesa

Secretary
Maureen Ingersoll

Maureen Ingersoll

Treasurer
Nicole Pietrowicz

Nicole Pietrowicz

Vice President
Robyn Sopel

Robyn Sopel

President